Saturday, February 1, 2014

I think this would be a fun craft to help keep those smaller party goers busy on the big game day. They would also make cute décor pieces

2 Paper Plates
Crayons, Markers, or Paint
Cellophane Tape
Scissors
Draw a face in the center of one paper plate. Color the top edge and sides whatever color you want the football helmet to be. Now, take the other paper plate and draw and cut out a football helmet face mask. Tape the face mask you cut out onto the bottom half of the paper plate you colored, and you have a football player in his helmet!

Friday, January 31, 2014

So I wanted to share one of my favorite football foods, just in case you were looking for something to make for Super Bowl this weekend. This dish will keep people coming back for more and more and more… and it’s so easy!

1 (1oz) package taco seasoning mix
1 (16oz) can refried beans
1 (8oz) package cream cheese (softened, I usually microwave it a few seconds, or leave it out to get soft)
1 (16oz) container of sour cream
1 (16oz) jar salsa
A few stalks of green onion diced
1large tomato chopped (Or I use cherry tomatoes halved, about a handful)
1 bag of “shreds” lettuce (this makes it easier) Or just shred a small head of lettuce
1 (6oz) can of sliced olives (optional, but looks great for coloring on the top)
1 (8oz) bag of shredded cheese (I like the 4 cheese mix)
1. In a bowl mix together the refried beans and the package of taco seasoning. Then spread in the bottom of a 9×13 dish
2. Mix the “softened” cream cheese and sour cream together. (Make sure you stir the sour cream by itself before you add it to the cream cheese. My girlfriend didn’t do this once, and I swear it changed the consistency.) Spread over the beans. I sometimes don’t use all of it, but if you wanna go BIG!!! Do it!
3. I refrigerate (to let the beans and seasoning set in). Then right before the party, I take it out and finish my layering.
4. Layer:
-a jar of salsa
-then tomatoes
-next green onions
-top with a bag of “shreds” lettuce
-cheese
-then hand place some sliced olives. (If you just throw them on it looks messy). I pick the pretty ones, and place them on top.
5. Now, add chips in a bowl and watch as EVERYONE asks you about this amazing dip! Its definitely a hit… and super EASY!

Note: I put it out with a serving spoon in the dip and small plates, because people like to scoop a bunch, grab some chips, and then go back to the game.

HEAT oven to 350°F. Spray one 8-inch round and one 8-inch square pan with flour no-stick cooking spray. Prepare cake mix as directed on package, using water, oil and eggs. Divide batter evenly into prepared pans.BAKE 31 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans 15 minutes. Remove cakes from pans. Place on wire racks. Cool 30 minutes or until completely cooled.PLACE round cake in center of serving tray or foil-covered cardboard. Cut square cake in half diagonally making 2 triangles. Trim off rounded piece from cut edge of each triangle so triangles fit on sides of round cake to form football shape. (If necessary, trim corners of triangle slightly to create a smooth, rounded edge.)ADD red and yellow food coloring to milk chocolate frosting. Blend well. Frost sides and top of cake. To create texture, lightly touch blade of serrated knife across top and sides of cake randomly.PLACE vanilla frosting in small resealable plastic bag. Seal bag. Cut small hole off one corner of bag. Squeeze bag to pipe 2 wide stripes on football, using seams between cakes as a guide. Use remaining vanilla frosting to pipe line with laces on football.

Preheat oven to 350. Boil the noodles. Mix together the cream cheese, sour cream and cottage cheese in a mixer to thoroughly mixed together. Set aside. If you have chosen to use the bell pepper or onion saute them for 3 minuted then toss in the hamburger meat. Brown hamburger meat in a skillet and drain. Add spaghetti sauce and mix together. Put a few slices of butter in bottom of a 9×13 casserole dish. Then layer half of the noodles in the bottom of the dish. Spread the cheese mixture over this layer. Then add the rest of the noodles on top of this with a few pats of butter. Now pour the red sauce and meat on top and spread. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and spread cheese on top and return to oven for another 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly

Cut two hearts. One apprximately 3" wide, the other 1 1/2" wide. Glue the bottom of the small heart to the top of the large heart. Use the hole punch to make holes in the upper sides and on either side of the bottom of the large heart. Fit one pipe cleaner through the two upper hole for arms. Fit the other pipe cleaner through the lower holes for legs. Wrap the end of one arm around the lollipop. Write a special message on the body. You could also make a smaller heart with a hole punched in it to hold a message in the other hand. Finish with facial features or other decorations

Ground Hog Day February 2 is a major weather day in many ways. The weather man is none other than the ground hog day. Being prepared for this day is of major importance. Making this craft will have you and your child both in the moods to see how Mr. or Mrs. Groundhog detects the future of the next 6 weeks of weather.

Will he stay in the burrow?

Will he peek out and see the weather coming out to see his shadow or perhaps not seeing his shadow. Time will only tell.

To make this craft you will need:
Egg carton
Brown paint
Brown or black pom pom
Glue
Googly eyes (optional)

You need to portions of the egg carton cut out, one for the top, and one for the bottom. Let your child paint these brown. When the paint is dry, put some glue on the inside of one of the cups and glue a brown pom pom inside. If you have small pom poms you may want to smash several together to make him big enough to fill the cup bottom. You can add eyes to him if you would like. Using masking tape tape the top to the bottom or a brass brad connecting the two pieces would work as well.

2 paper plates
brown paint
scissors
hole punch
ribbon, yarn or string (I used brown, but white would work too)
Old newspaper
First let your child paint the BACKS of 2 paper plates (when put together they will look like a 3-D football). Let dry. I cut my plates in half and then cut an 1.5 inch from one half of the newly cut plate (you will need to do this for the back and front, so cut an inch and half from 2 of your pieces). This will give the plate a more oval shape. Next tape your half and your 1.5 inch shorter half together, set aside. Punch holes along the straight edges of your two remaining halves. I put my halves together to be sure that the holes would match, but the paper was too thick and it hurt my hand! So, make holes in one of the halves, line the other plate up and make pencil marks on your un-punched plate, and hole punch it. :) Your holes don't have to be perfect though, it will still work fine, but you do want the same number of holes on each half. Now, staple the halves to the whole plate you just taped together. Remember that you want it to look like a bowl shape in the middle, and you are going to fill it in.Cut strips of newspaper (what I did), or be inventive with your filling and fill the inside of your ball until it has a good shape. Now, lace your holes with ribbon or yarn or whatever you have. You can let your child lace it as a lacing craft, or you can lace the football like you would a shoe (as I did) and let your child practice tying his or her shoes.

Preheat oven to 425°F. In a medium bowl, combine strawberries and brown sugar. Pour the strawberries on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Place in the oven and roast for 12 to 15 minutes until the strawberries start to release their juices but are still firm. Carefully pour the roasted strawberries and their juice into a bowl and set aside until needed.

Mix yogurt and honey in a medium bowl and stir until combined.

In 8 ounce glasses or parfait cups, assemble the parfaits by adding a layer of yogurt to the bottom of the glass. Next add a few spoonfuls of the strawberries on top of the yogurt and then add a spoonful of granola on top of the strawberries. Repeat layers until the serving glasses are full. Top the parfaits with a spoonful of strawberries and a sprinkle of granola. Place a sprig of mint for garnish, optional.

Returning back to work was something I needed to do to make sure my family was well taken care of. That meant a lot of changes one of which was finding a short cut to make meals on days that I worked. The answer I found was to use the crockpot. The family has been loving the meals I cook and I have been enjoying the extra time

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons

1onion, finely diced
2 (10 ounce) packages
refrigerated biscuit dough, torn into pieces
Place the chicken, butter, soup, and onion in a slow cooker, and fill with enough water to cover
Cover, and cook for 5 to 6 hours on High. About 30 minutes before serving, place the torn biscuit dough in the slow cooker. Cook until the dough is no longer raw in the center

Preheat oven to 425°.

Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add 1/3 cup panko to pan, and cook for 2 minutes or until toasted, stirring frequently. Remove from heat, and place the panko in a shallow dish.
Cut mozzarella sticks into 1-inch pieces. Working with one piece at a time, dip cheese in egg substitute; dredge in panko. Place cheese on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 3 minutes or until the cheese is softened and thoroughly heated.
Pour the marinara sauce into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH 1 minute or until thoroughly heated, stirring after 30 seconds. Serve with mozzarella pieces.
One serving is 3 mozzarella bites and 1 tablespoon sauce
Calories: 91 per serving this recipe makes 4 servings

National Corn Chip is celebrated on January 29 each year. Never heard of it? Well, now you have. You may just want to celebrate this year the year you finally found out about corn chip day with this recipe that features cornchips and pleases your sweet tooth as well.

Spread corn ships in a greased 15 in x 10 in by 1 in baking pan.
In a saucepan over medium heat, bring corn syrup and sugar to a boil, stirring frequently to help dissolve the sugar. Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in peanut butter until smooth. Pour over corn chips.
I thought a drizzle of melted semi-sweet chocolate chips would be a nice touch. However, it really wasn’t necessary.

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Marriage / Mothering / Homemaking Goals
1. spend more one on one time with hubby good quality time
2. Birthday Party for my mom
3. Plan birthday party for daughter, son and grandson
4. celebrate brothers birthday with him

try to stay in a pleasant mood having returned to work and only with one day off this week may not be easy to do

Blog Goals
1. write at least 3 post a day
2. place a review/giveaway on blog this week
3. keep up with other review and giveaways

Oh my just look at that stack of pancakes smothered with blueberry Oh so yummy and tomorrow January 28 national day for blueberry pancakes is an awesome day to serve these up to someone you love. This recipe comes from a place where its business depends on taking care of people and their taste buds.

BLUEBERRY SAUCE RECIPE:

18 ounces blueberries

1 cup sugar

Juice from 1/2 a fresh lemon

1 cup cold water

2-3 tablespoons cornstarch

Place all ingredients in a medium-large saucepan. Stir together until cornstarch has dissolved. Heat on medium-high until sauce boils. Cook until it becomes thick then remove from heat. If needed, warm up again when pancakes are ready.
PANCAKE RECIPE:

Whisk pancake ingredients minus the blueberries together until well combined and smooth. Sprinkle blueberries with flour until coated & discard excess flour. Gently stir blueberries into pancake batter.
Place your very best non-stick pan on a burner and preheat to low. It will be tempting to pour the batter upon the pan before it is hot, but do not give in to the temptation. When the time is right, pour 1/3 cup of better into the pan to make about a four-inch pancake.
Wait until the bubbles that form all around the edges of the pancake begin to burst, then flip.

How to Make them: mix up your favorite cake mix accordin to the directions, (storebought or homemade) and Fill each ice cream cone with about 2 Tbsp. of batter. The batter should come to the lower inner rim of the ice cream cones. Do not fill all the way to the top, or the ice cream cones will topple. Bake ice cream cone cupcakes 20-30 minutes. Check at 20 minutes. When a knife inserted in the center of the ice cream cone cupcakes comes out clean, they're done.

Monday, January 27, 2014

I actually claim 2 towns on the opposite ends of the state as my home. I lived in the central part of the state for the first part of my life, still have lots of family that live there. When I was in high school I moved to the southern part of the state and have lived here for many years. I love both areas of the state the green lush of the central part where I grew up near the farms and the southern part near the river and forest lovely part of the state as well.

Well, that being said I was happy to see a person who grew up here in the southern part of Illinois, Harrisburg to be exact. Has done good. Yes he really has and now we can be proud and say that we have a past citizen in this little town who had a part in a childrens album that was nominated for a grammy.

Rocky Alvey walked down the red carpet for Sunday night's Grammy Awards, after he and his team were nominated for Best Children's Album. Mighty Sky is the album name. Alvey says the lyrics from the album came from a poem he wrote in 1985. It was inspired by nights he spent under the stars of his childhood farm. The lyrics are all about science and astronomy.

Unfortunately, he and group did not win tonight. The honor went to Jennifer Gasoi for "Throw a Penny in the Wishing Well."

Another prepare before the game and let them fend for themselves is a taco bar. Yes that's right make it up set it up and let them serve themselves. Oh my so good

(This will make four servings)
1 lb. ground beef
1 envelope taco seasoning (any variety)
water
any brand of corn-based chips like Fritos, Doritos, Tostitos, etc. (about 4-6 oz.)
whatever taco toppings you enjoy, like shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, shredded cheese, sour cream, salsa, etc.Directions
Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat until cooked through. Drain and return to skillet. Add taco seasoning and water (as directed on the seasoning packet, typically 1/2 or 2/3 cup.) Return to heat and bring to a boil. Cook for an additional 4-5 minutes until sauce thickens a bit.
Meanwhile, chop the tomatoes, shred the lettuce and cheese, and prepare whatever other toppings you’ll be serving.
Add an ounce or so of the chips to each of four bowls. Add a quarter of the meat to each. Top with whatever you like!

I believe one of my favorite places to visit in my local supermarket is the meat department I am always there to see what is on sale. When there are several choices it seems as good as Christmas but sometimes you have to really look and it seems as if we are on a treasure hunt. When visiting the other day I found a package of chicken tenderloins while not to big it is perfect for this recipe.

Tear angel food cake into medium pieces. Begin layering cake, strawberries, pudding and whip cream in a large clear glass bowl. Continue irregular layers, filling the bowl. Top entire dessert with a solid layer of whip cream. Slice a few fresh strawberries for garnish Refrigerate overnight or at least 4 hours before serving. To me it tastes like all the flavors of strawberry shortcake in one big yummy bite!

Sunday, January 26, 2014

Saw this awesome idea on facebook. I love it and have to truly say I never thought of it. Extra room in the shower and bathroom is something that offers much reward. With 8 of us that live in this house and a few more that come and visit from time to time room becomes a precious commodity Those storage baskets become useful to hold the girls special bath products, toys, poofs and many other things.

Mix Bisquick, sour cream and 7 up. Dough will be very soft - don't worry
Knead and fold dough until coated with your baking mix.
Pat dough out and cut biscuits using a round biscuit / cookie cutter.
Melt butter in bottom of cookie sheet pan or 9x13 casserole dish.
Place biscuits on top of melted butter and bake @ 425 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until brown

Are you in ever search of storage pieces that look great? Somewhere to hide something you don't need every day but still need to have? Well I have found a great idea, or at least in my idea it is. I am in love with the vintage look and why not use old suitcases that were meant to hold items as storage pieces. They have their own stories to tell bring about their own charm and oh yes have lots of room to hold those items that you need to place in storage.

Love this look of towering baggage Ready to store all that you need but stand proud with the look of pride. Perhaps you are like me and have your mother, grandmother or other pieces of vintage luggage that you would love to display but never knew quite how. Now you have the idea and can get it done.

I absolutely love these bags with tags. They seem to have said yes we went and we came back. It would be so fun to share a bit of story on each for those who come to visit

Love this suitcase that is used to store all the things you may need. Left open as in an open desk plan or closed and stored with others it is always ready